Oneness, by Egil Rausner

About hope and the global awakening into being present, oneness and what comes thereafter.

[egilrausner]

Awakening does not come from a kind of “practice.” Procedures such as prayer, chanting, meditation, etc. just give ego more jobs to do so as to postpone awakening—postpone seeing ego’s delusion. Perhaps some traditional meditation will calm you down enough to be able to notice your thoughts at all, but once that happens, any further “sitting,” becomes, in my experience, just another project in strengthening the ego, not seeing through it.

Dr. Robert

[egilrausner]

You already are enlightened. It’s just the idea if not fully being there, that gets in the way.

Egil Rausner

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The student takes the role of becoming the teacher. The teacher willingly educates the student. The master realizes it is already here and is one with all three.

Egil Rausner

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Why even bother with fragments of ideas in a clutter? Enlightenment is brought about with a billion silent thoughts.

Egil Rausner

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I was trying to watch the sun rise this morning, and the sun kept me asking: "Who is this 'I' watching me?". When I stopped trying to watch, the sun started looking back into itself.

Egil Rausner

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Meditation is not a silver bullet - in regards to enlightenment. One still needs to understand the subject of self to let the misconception of "me" go.

Egil Rausner

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You are uniquely you

Some people are just born different. They have a special sense of how deep the rabbit hole really goes, and when they touch the bottom of the abyss, they are able to tell us what the soul is all about.

They know who they are, they rest in their own space, they have that special emanation about them and a very particular touch to their way of being, which makes the rest of us look to them for understanding. They tell us who we are by reflecting and strengthen our own light back onto ourselves, and we understand and comprehend the massive complexity of our own identity. They do this because of a special gift.

What they do is see themselves in others. And what they see is something worth loving utterly and fully without regrets. They recognize within us the full spectrum of what it is to be human. They understand this being here and now fully and have the capacity to take it all in and just be with it. No corner of the soul is too dark for them to contain. They have within them an infinitely deep space in which we feel held and understood as a human. There is a certain capacity and understanding, that makes them able to do this.

Every emotion the human body is capable of producing, they know intimately and they understand fully the grief that comes with life. When we are traveling in the darkest of night on the rough sea and when we are lost, these people are the lighthouse of our soul and our guidance to shore. They provide us something unique, something we need.

They give us the intimacy so sought for. And no longer do they crave this certain touch or nerve for themselves, no longer do they ask for a special connection or to be understood. They know in their own way, that what is here now, is fully understood, fully loved and fully present without envy, without attachment and without regret. The love towards themselves finally exploded like a thousand stars when they turned to their own heart for understanding, and this created a path to the intimacy from which we all feel connected. From which we are held until it vibrates through our entire being. We must remember though, it was in no way easy for them to allow the intimacy to grow. The gift did not come for free.

It might have taken a while, and it was with great resistance, when the soul finally remembered and turned inwards to find this intimacy. Tears poured into the seas of remembrance, the emotion of loving one self like being loved again by the long lost one, vibrated to the end of the universe when the recognition of life as just a play on a stage and the seeking for understanding was nothing but a hollow act covering the truth beneath it. Intimacy was there already, waiting for the receiver. Tears ran down the cheeks of those who finally emerged in love and in full embrace of the authenticity which was already here. We thank these people for showing up in their life and finally do that. These people help us see ourselves on the stage of acting out our own life. They understand the play that is being played. And they recognize the phrases, the passages, the excuses, the drama and the content of the acting so very well, because they saw it through their own eyes. They did their play. Now they have set that aside to help us understand the truth of who we are.

The full experience of being human and the emotional spectrum it encompasses is not something to be shun away, nor something to cling to for entertainment, but instead something which is simply part of this life no matter how short or long it might be. It is what it is. We then see, that all of life is a mix of many different colors on an ever changing canvas and there is in no way anything dull about this. It is because of this, the Mona Lisa smiles.

We understand that every word we speak, every action we take, every decision we make and all we do in this world is the beauty of our combined colorful creation. We understand and know what it's all about. This dance, this song, this collective being. Each and everyone of us is expressing the very same thing with our own voice. There is no separateness and no being alone. The people who know this, help us remember where we came from and see the connection to the source of what is, and this being of ours is the expression of that source. We each express it in a different way. Some with graffiti, some with fine arts, some with music, some with hard labor, some like mothers, some like beggars, some like leaders and some politicians, but every single one of us now understand, that we are deeply connected to the source that made it all possible in the first place.

We can now understand this fluke of existence, the being here in the universe as something immensely beautiful. Yet we don't seek to be or to become this beauty, we understand the beauty as something ever present, which will never fade, which penetrates and is omnipresent. It is the birth of life, life itself and even death. It touches the soul and flows right through us with no alteration. We recognize this and know it in our hearts.

Where ever we are, whomever we are, what ever our heritage, this connects us to the deepest of our souls and guide us in the seeking. We finally arrive at the understanding of what we truly are. And we were there, in the present now, the whole time.

This truly is something special. Thank you so much for paving this way.

With love.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner

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Merging with stillness questions the authority behind fear of being separated. How did it come about?

Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

The unborn universe

There is a very special experience I'd like to share with you. It's a derivation of oneness and divine love, and maybe it's actually more a meditation into stillness and the source of what is. To me, this has been ground shaking in understanding oneness as a perception of stillness. I call it "holding the unborn universe".

When reading or doing this practice, please keep in mind, this is just my experience being shared. It's a composition of different meditation techniques, so be inspired and see what you can make of it.

From a meditative state I expand the conscious awareness from the surroundings to encompass the experience surrounding me. Everything happening around me is just happening, and I don't cling to a certain experience. I wait a while and settle. From this position I start moving back in time, imagining how the surroundings would look like in different eras. First the last 50 years, then 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 years. Past the phase in which nature dominated the landscape. Back to when there wasn't much covering the planet, no mountains were born. Past the planet getting denser and denser from stardust, seeing Earth dissolving back into space. Even further back to the supposed point in time, when the universe expanded. From this point I slow down time, watching how the universe contracts back into space where it came from and I allow myself to be sucked back into nothingness with it. I get compressed along with all matter in the universe in an infinitely tiny space where all matter is held - everything in the universe at one tiny place. And here I stop. There is no sound, there is no sense, all is very, very still and nothing has yet become of form.

In this space of infinite capacity, there is no shape, no form to recognize and nothing I can call a name. There is only unborn matter. Not a single molecule, just pure energy. I dwell here for a while. I let myself merge with the energy of the unborn universe. I see the truth shine through: "I am that which is yet unborn which will be given form and granted consciousness".

And whenever I am ready, it all explodes and time is set to fast forward. Matter gets dense and planets shape. Mountains rise, water floods, plants grow, clouds float, animals are born, people start appearing, civilization is shaped and my surroundings come to life until it arrives at the position I was when the meditation started. Slowly, gently landing in the mind and body again.

The recognition of the unborn universe is then still carried with me when I leave the meditation. There is an understanding of this being right here, right now, as an expression of the universe folding back into itself and an understanding of this split second of a life as something extremely valuable, in which I get to be the all seeing eye, recognizing creation for what it is. I am eternally grateful in that moment.

Whether you can use this, I just wanted to share with you what I have experienced. Maybe you too will then have the utter delight of the accompanying feeling of landing in what is present with an immense gratitude. I find my life changed for good with this and it brings me closer to the source. Time is what I have been given, along with the ability to be, the rest is something I made up on the go. Only life matters.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

When one connects to what is, stillness penetrates the thick curtain of the mind and enlightens the observer. Listen to this stillness and rest within it. This is all there is.

Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

Practical oneness using a necklace

I got a necklace. It's one of these strings with 32-something beads on it and a piece of colored glass at the end with a yin-yan sign. I admit it, I got it in a souvenir shop, just because I liked the look of it. The good thing is, it has served well in grounding and keeping the mind at ease, even in times with a lot of stress and plenty of reasons to forget my connection to oneness.

See, the thing is, I use this necklace to meditate from time to time. Not because I have a religious intent for the meditation practice, it's a rather practical thing. The usage is pretty simple: I begin at the piece of glass with the yin-yan sign and place my thumb and index finger between the glass and a bead. I inhale moving my fingers "up" on a bead, then I exhale in the space between the beads. Inhale again moving the fingers to the next bead, and exhale putting my fingers in the space between. Slowly. You get the general idea. I repeat until I reach the piece of glass again.

But, as one would probably ask: "Why a necklace? Why would you use an object to meditate? Can't you just use the breath?". And you are right, that's what I did, before I got the necklace. I found out, that I actually benefit from using it. There are two main reasons why I do the cycle with this necklace:

When I'm very stressed, which do happens from time to time, the body just reacts constantly. I get a sudden urge to move or do something - like a mental and physical twitching. The necklace helps me to have some physical object to focus on. The sensation of holding the necklace is grounding, and my urge to move is kind of postponed, until it fades with the cycle. And I can focus on breathing. The good thing is, that I take at least 32 breaths, which is enough for me to get the mind and the body back to a relaxed and balanced state. From here I either stop or continue without the necklace.

Sometimes I get in a very deep state of meditation and these times the sense of time just disappears. I can sit and watch the sun move for hours, but if I'm heading home and just stop in a spot with some trees to take a breath, I need to move on within five minutes in order to not be late or dinner. The necklace is a timer, that calls me back, when I reach the piece of glass again. The same goes for meditating at work, which happens yes, then I use it to set a silent timer.

There are plenty other good reasons for using an object like this, I'm sure you'll discover what's in it for you.

If you'd like some tips on using the meditation to get deeper in touch with oneness, here's some ideas to try out:

After a couple of breaths, try exhaling slightly slower and slower. Prolong the exhale as far as you can. Now while you exhale notice the time passing. Do this a couple of times and ask at an exhale: "What is eternity?". Any answer, sensation or experience that might arise is yours for the keeping.

Watch the cycle of breathing. Just observe yourself breathing as you inhale and exhale. Relax and let go. After a while, ask yourself: "What is always present?". Let any answer arise and just take a note. Keep breathing. Take your time. After a while you may ask yourself: "What is stillness?". Let the answer come and take a note. If you wish, ask the questions again a couple of times and take a note. Do this meditation from time to time and take notes over longer periods of time. Compare your experiences and see what you got.

At the space between the beads or on the top of a bead, in between the inhale or the exhale, stay still. Let your mind, body and emotions be still, let your senses be open and listen. Be as focused as possible and sense. Feel what is. Not just what is around you, what you might hear or the echo of the thoughts that died down. Not only the touch at your fingertips or the emotion that may arise. Feel the fabric of the moment. It encompasses everything at the same time - all of the above. Feel the essence of this very moment. For each breath you take, the sense will get stronger, keep breathing. Eventually your connection with what is present at this moment becomes so powerful, it feels like your nerves are connected directly to all of your surroundings. Everything around you is touching you and you are in touch with it. Bring this state with you when you leave meditation.

I hope this will bring you as much joy as it did me.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

Stillness was here before I came about. It will be here after I am gone. It is not the illusion of value.

Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

Appreciation

It seems that some people have realized a fundamental fact about splendor and greatness in this world. Something truly amazing happens, when people set aside their own needs and replace their self-made goals with a cause of a greater good. There is an important lesson to learn for the rest of us about the greatness in the actions of these shining stars.

They are in charge yet humble, energetic yet calm and every breath they take is for the highest imaginable glory. No longer do these people have an insatiable hunger for glory, fame and attention, they are fulfilled in every way, and no hollow desire is any longer driving their motive for being "on top" of the pyramid of power. These people truly shine, and mankind will become much greater than was ever possible because of these highly appreciated people. They are now working behind the stage, no longer do they need to be up front, and may or may not even be hidden from the light of attention. Nevertheless, they nourish a hope for a better future for all of mankind.

These "emperors made pawns" have realized the fast fading nature of external recognition. They no longer strive to maintain an image of being better, greater, brighter or claiming that "X-factor". They just have it, no effort is needed. The need for recognition and appreciation now comes from within, not from the outside. And the looping construct of the I-self, which attempts to build glorious castles on sand, has stopped and released a tremendous amount of energy. This energy is now spent doing what is needed in this world.

No longer do these people attempt to improve circumstances, adjust external perceptions, make themselves look better than what is and no longer do they attempt to horde better and better results for recognition. The time they have been given in this life is no longer waisted in the fast lane moving from one goal to another in a hunt for accomplishments. The recognition might even have been brought about by their greed for value, which was caught in the act and exposed like a thief in the flash of a camera forever captured by the conscious observer. The absurdity of the hording is then seen in it's full perspective and brought to full attention.

Most importantly they no longer believe themselves to be cut off from the rest of mankind and thus no longer attempt to be on top of it all singlehandedly. The recognition of oneself as just a drop in the ocean of humanity, a tiny yet shining part of the collective consciousness and as an expression of all living as an interconnected and ever moving force, lies at the core of the realization these people have made. No matter how the attention was brought about, the fruit of interconnected awareness is now seen in all its awe.

What these people now teach the world is that all within the hearts of the inhabitants of this planet is made of gold, accepted for what it is and of highest value. And this is brought about without a single action of improvement. No attempt to enhance or advance it is needed, no to-do list is ever needed to bring about the value they talk about and the energy is no longer directed towards improving the fading reflection of the I-self.

They teach us, that all of humanity can tap into this experience of being fully accepted, being made of the purest gold and holding the highest value in the world. Since we have all already arrived at this point by the very existence, in the moment we became molded in the force of life, there is nothing to do, no thought to feed and nothing to be figured out. The sentence "You are already the greatest gift to all that is", is heard from the lips of the enlightened, and the seeker can rest in the arms of oneness brought to light by these precious beings.

Yet this was most probably not brought about without a fight. The hardest of all actions was most likely the struggle with an I-self trying to maintain the position of value, though there was perhaps always this sense, that it wasn't real, when the seeker got closer to stillness. Blinded by the light of artificial gold and jewels and the promises of momentary power and glory, the I-self fought for the idea, that it alone could bring about a sense of being held in high esteem. The courage to finally understand, admit the deceit and release this belief must have taken a lot to muster. And it probably released a flood of shame, yet this shame was nothing but the emotional tides catching up with the seeker; it was gone by the dawning morning.

What was left was an immense sense of gratitude. Gratitude towards oneself, an appreciation of the moment and tears of gratefulness in recognition of the greatest of all gifts: Life itself. A gift that needs no actions and no ideas of improvement to be the highest of all glory. It already is. And the glory is all around, within and penetrating the observer, whom have now become one with the golden source of it.

When we see our connection to these people and what they have endured to become connected to stillness, part of the oneness and finally bring about enlightenment, we understand how much these now humble beings deserve our love and appreciation, and we feel loved back, held in the eternal glory of what is, since now the enlightened is no longer hording but instead reflecting the appreciation. We now understand how the courage just to be and live life in all its glory of what is, is such a very important, very delicate and treasured trait of humanity.

In huge appreciation - Thank you.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

You are never alone. Look beyond the event horizon of the I-self. You are all that is loved.

Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

You are loved

Though it infuses us with hope, when we hear, see and feel acts of love and kindness, there is something even more powerful and promising in play behind the scenes. All of humanity is in touch or touched by this very strong flow of "something" or force, experienced by those daring enough to reach into the abyss and come back to tell us about it. And what they tell, is a tale of hope and promises of healing for mankind.

The force, these daring souls talk about, is a corner stone of the universe. A building block, on which the manifestations of life is built upon. When we perceive the world as it is, we also see how love and kindness is derived from this very gentle yet much stronger force, which binds all living things together. People sometimes refer to this as divine love, though there really is no word for it. Imagine what this energy working behind the scenes is capable of in terms of bringing manifestations of love and compassion into this world. If only the conscious mind can realize and strengthen the connection to this force without getting lost on the way, what would the world then look like?

Many spiritually developed or enlightened people have posted signs and pointed us in the direction of integration with this loving flow of energy, but too many of these clues seem to have been lost in time or translation - easily overseen in a fast moving society of modern I-centric culture. Luckily to the seeker, there is hope, if only one knows what to look for.

First of all, the force is something realized experientially. This means that an attempt to use the cognitive mind to fathom the depth of the experience is futile. The mind simply won't understand what it is looking at, and instead a series of symbols will be compared to the experience, resulting in a judgment or even a discard of what is being interpreted.

The closer to stillness one has gotten, in which the mind, body and heart is quite for a while, the greater the chance of experiencing a connection to this force. It doesn't take much, and is actually rather effortless, since it has to do with leaving behind or at least quieting down ones' inner voices and old beliefs - which in itself is letting go of a heavy load or burden, hence no effort is needed. If just the seeker knows how to get out of the way of direct experience, the flow of force is strong and felt deep within. It is sometimes recognized as the "melting into oneness" and described in many places. One of them by Siddhartha Gautama, whom in the Flower Sermon introduced his followers to the the subtle Dharma Gate. But many others have seen and described this state, which takes no religion and no beliefs to experience.

After a while, one might recognize the mind and the heart as a channel or medium for this flow of force, and the body as a physical manifestation of the energy within it. This leads to the realization of ones' ideas about what to do with it, how to interpret it and the concept of what is good or bad in terms of the myriads of expressions it represents, is purely a weave of illusions in our mind. The one experiencing the force will then recognize love, true love or divine love. The realization of "I am this love" takes on a different meaning.

The identification with love and thus the need to be lovable is not necessary. Since the force behind it or the divine love is everlasting, always moving and eternally flowing through the one observing, one will recognize this force within the constitution of the mind and body. How can one not be this love, when the manifestation is an expression of it? At the same time, recognizing the force as moving behind that which is interpreted by the mind and later channeled into emotions, the one experiencing it will recognize or realize that "I am all that is loved". Since all living is comprised by the force without shape, the connection to all other living and loving creatures is felt deep within. And this is where love can be transformed into the limitless nature it truly is and then expressed through our lives.

Since the need or craving of being lovable is no longer needed nor any longer necessary to be maintained in the presence of stillness and divine love, pain from the lack of love is recognized as a prison created by the mind. Or more correctly seen as a looping construct in the I-self serving only to maintain an image or a Fata Morgana of itself, and this perishes in the presence of divine love. In this light a new and stronger amalgam is created in the seeker, and the flow of divine love is mixed to a strong compound which will overcome sadness, loneliness, the feeling of being abandoned and the feeling of rejection. It will even help to overcome and heal the hardest of conflicts with long forgotten loved ones.

Recognizing the people around ourselves, not only those whom it is easy to love, as the manifestation of force of life or divine love, one cannot and will never be cut off or feel alone again. Even what before seemed like an immovable or impassable wall of conflict and controversy, is now seen for what it is and recognized as a pale expression of the I-self trying to protect itself. This protection is no longer needed, for the inside is out and nothing but divine love or force of life inside.

Let us hope for the tears of reunion shed by the seekers of divine love. For the love of all that is humanity.

In deep felt compassion for those who need it.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

Stay present and calm. The fear of instability is highly unstable in the presence of stillness.

Egil Rausner

[egilrausner]

Bringing about oneness

Watch out for a pitfall when using meditation to bring about oneness.

Meditation is a truly wonderful tool, in which oneness can be born. Oneness, on a level of no involvement of the I-self, is somewhat easy to get to. And still so many well-intended seekers struggle with the idea of meditation and the state of mindfulness. Most I encounter feel that it must be the fruit of hard labor and hard practice. This doesn't have to be so.

The barrier is the meditation itself and a mind which passively clings to an identification. Even when the mind, heart and body is at rest and mindfulness sets in, there is this identification with the doing, and this acts to the mind like a flotsam in a wast and bottomless abyss. The I-self is still active, yet in a passive way, and is fully aware of this deep and dark abyss. Thoughts may come and go, and the seeker may even enter a state of no thoughts or no emotions for a while. And when the stillness starts shining through, what is then more appropriate for the I-self, than to attach itself to the experience of meditation to ensure a sense of stability. The meditation then becomes the purpose in its own and the experience changes to a state of "doing meditation" rather than "being meditation". This is alright, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, in this way of the functionality of the mind. The I-self is serving a purpose of protection, and this purpose is fulfilled flawlessly. One has to realize this as just a reaction of the mind.

The use of meditation for the purpose of being is somewhat different. This implies releasing any intend on what to expect from meditation, what to accomplish, what to reap or the idea that some mysterious sign might appear. The expectation for something to happen is an expression of longing or waiting of the soul or the mind, a clinging to some fragment or idea that the "I" is still present. The state of "being" is felt and experienced differently than "doing", or in this case "doing waiting", and the dissolving of the last idea on what to expect becomes in this emerging beingness a tremendous pressure. The flotsam will eventually sink under this pressure. The I-self is now in an important position.

After a while, the I-self attempts to swim ashore by seeking something, just anything, to identify with. If it succeeds, it will again appear in a passive state of identified stability. The defined purpose of meditation is back, and the seeker is in a state of doing. Again, this is perfectly normal, and the experience is to be noted, not judged.

If the I-self is caught in the attempt to swim ashore, it is revealed for what it is. And this is where the abyss is at its deepest. The realization leads to an extraordinary relief from the released pressure of the last energy consuming self-maintaining construct, and silent tears often follow. The seeker enters a state of limitless being and the abyss is immediately felt within, surrounding and penetrating every cell of the seeker. Oneness has become the one meditating.

Eventually the one meditating will go out in the world surrounding us, yet the seeker is now an observer to what is. Maybe there will be identification with doing, thinking, feeling or the objects, that one will meet, but the experience of oneness is forever imprinted in the very fabric of the observer; there is no turning back. And most don't want to either. The energy of the observer often goes in the direction of gratefulness, love and compassion. And though these feelings are now seen for what they are, they create the foundation of a caring and authentic connectedness far superior to the connections of networking, trade, politics, nationality and even across religions. This limitless compassion and love is a corner stone far more solid in our interactions, than that of anger, fear and repression. One can only hope this realization will occur to as many as possible.

With compassion and love.

                                         ~ Egil Rausner